Will Beto run for president in 2020? He's not saying 'no' at El Paso town hall

U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke walks into his first town hall since the midterm elections to applause from the capacity crowd Monday at the El Paso Community Foundation room in downtown El Paso. O’Rourke introduced his successor, U.S. Rep. elect Veronica Escobar and touched upon a variety of issues and answered a variety of questions, from migrants at the border to gun control legislation to his future plans.(Photo: Rudy Gutierrez)

Will Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke run for president in 2020? He's not saying "no."

At his 102nd town hall as a congressman – and one of his first public appearances since his loss to Sen. Ted Cruz on Nov. 6 – O'Rourke was focused on finishing out his term and making the transition smooth for his successor, Veronica Escobar.

During the question-and-answer portion of his town hall in downtown El Paso on Monday, audience members thanked O'Rourke for his Senate run and – to loud applause – encouraged him to run for president. He smiled politely and thanked them, but said little about his plans.

When a reporter asked O'Rourke directly whether he would be running in 2020, O'Rourke gave a (somewhat) direct answer.

He said that he had just returned from a vacation with his family and was enjoying being home in El Paso.

"That's what we're focused on now," O'Rourke said. "Just being together as a family, making sure I deliver everything I can to the people I represent until Jan. 3," when his term is finished.

But after Jan. 3?

"Then Amy and I will think about what we can do next to contribute to the best of our ability to this community," he said.

Then he looked at his wife in the audience. "Amy, how was that?"

Amy O'Rourke gave a thumbs-up from her seat in the audience.

Speaking with reporters after the event, O'Rourke said has received a lot of advice on his future plans, with people advising him to run for everything from the school board to the White House.

"It's crazy that anyone even thinks that we should be doing that," O'Rourke said in apparent disbelief at the level of interest in him making a bid to become the next presidenti.

O'Rouke acknowledged his answer on 2020 had changed from what it was during the Senate race. At the time, O'Rourke said, winning that race was "100 percent of our focus."

"Now that that is no longer possible, we’re thinking through a number of things and Amy and I made a decision not to rule anything out," O'Rourke told the Texas Tribune.

"The best advice I received from people who’ve run for, and won – and run for, and lost – elections like this, is: don’t make any decisions about anything until you’ve had some time to hang with your family and just be human. And so I am following that advice," he said, according to the Tribune.

U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke walks into his first town hall since the midterm elections to applause from the capacity crowd Monday at the El Paso Community Foundation room in downtown El Paso. O’Rourke introduced his successor, U.S. Rep. elect Veronica Escobar and touched upon a variety of issues and answered a variety of questions, from migrants at the border to gun control legislation to his future plans. Rudy Gutierrez